Finding Home
by KuraKitsune
Summary: The newly revised version of Time After Time. Kagome is returning home for the Boudokai Tournament. She has been invited there by Yusuke, her half brother. Want to know more, read the story. Kagome/Kurama, only determined pairing so far.
1. Kagome's Life, Reborn

Hi, guys! Long time, no write, right? Ah, sorry about that. To tell you the truth I didn't think this story would ever hit lift off again, however I was re-reading it and tweaked it enough so that the entire storyline has changed. This, which was once titled Time After Time, is now being redone, retitled, and re-edited. There will be some heavy plot changes and perhaps relationship changes as well and I'll let you know what these changes are at the end of this first chapter. For now, hope you guys enjoy the newly remastered Time After Time. Sorry for the long absense and thank you to those of you who are still loyal.

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Chapter 1

Kagome's Life, Reborn

Well, there it was; the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls, and the bane of her existence. Higurashi Kagome wanted to throw the cursed jewel across the room! Her mission was complete, her friends lived semi-normal lives, and things were improving for her…except for the stupid jewel which would not release her from its curse. Kagome sighed, turning wide blue eyes away from her burden.

Kagome was now 25 years old, yes ten years had passed since she had first traveled into the past and she was no longer the gangly, geeky teenage she was once. Her hair, wisely placed in a pony tail on top of her head, was kept at an impressive length, the black spun silk color as beautiful as ever. As a grown woman, Kagome stood at about average height and her limbs were long, willowy and shapely. Kagome stood up from her lounge and glanced around the glorious room, still a bit in awe of the immaculate space. Sesshoumaru really had outdone himself, and, not for the first time, Kagome wondered what made her worthy in his eye. What had she, a human, ever done to deserve the respect of such a powerful ally? Years of self-doubt and harsh criticism had left the poor miko a bit screwed in the head, but she had learned over time to siphon out all those bad feelings.

A bit different from human decor, her room housed a lowered futon, lined with the many throw pillows she had brought from the human realm. Bored as ever, Kagome Walked gracefully out onto the veranda and leaned against the railing, staring up at the pink sky and immersing her mind in thought.

_This place sure is different than the human realm. I feel so many energies and life forces emanating here. I guess it isn't as pure as the Feudal Era, but at least the demons in the Makai haven't managed to pollute the environment here like the rest of the human population. Life may be dangerous and unkind here, but still it feels more like home to me than anywhere else._

Kagome had been living in Lord Sesshomaru's castle for the past year, having returned home through the well more than five years ago. After the final defeat of Naraku, Kagome had returned home, having made the hard decision not to stay in the past. It was a decision that still haunted her, even though she knew Inuyasha had watched over Sango and Miroku, as well as their descendants. She had had to leave her son behind, which also caused her much grief and agony, but in the end the pull of the future called her home. Still forced into wearing the jewel by the long since freed Midoriko, Kagome came into contact with the Spirit World soon after her immanent return. She had been amazed to learn that there was a spiritual realm in the first place, and even further, that there was a demon realm; though Koenma and other high officials opposed her original request to travel into the demon world in order to find her loved ones. They were a bit weary about releasing a half trained miko into such a place, but Kagome was adamant, if not obstinate. It had taken her four long, turbulent years before her request was granted. She still didn't know what made them change their minds that year, but she suspected that some unnamed individuals had requested that she be allowed entrance.

Kagome came out of her semi-trance and grinned, reliving the memories and the rush of encountering the impressive lord again. Sesshoumaru had proved to be the same harsh, oppressive demon that he always was.

_:::Flashback:::_

_Kagome stood in awe, tattered miko robes swishing around her body and bow hanging loosely in her grasp. She stood frozen in one spot, eyes locked on the impressive figure standing before her. She had been attacked by some low-level demon aching for some lunch and Kagome had defended herself admirably until the demon's claws had ripped apart her bodice and left her breasts hanging out for all to see. The speed and shock of the attack caused Kagome to panic and reach down to cross her arms in an attempt to keep the demon from her goods. Because of her frantic thoughts, Kagome's earlier training was quickly forgotten and all she could do was pray to her ancestors and squeeze her eyes shut. She waited for the blow and screamed immensely surprised when a different demon came crashing through the forest in front of her. Kagome barely had time to blink before the large demon ate her attacker all in one, squishy bite._

_Kagome's first thought was _ew! _But the next sequence of events had her emotions running on high alert. _

_The poor miko blinked and continued this repetition, almost unaware of the large dog demon reducing its size. When she finally came out of her shocked stupor, Kagome's terrified eyes met the calm, analytical orbs of what looked like a marble statue. The great Lord Sesshoumaru stood a few paces in front of her, well aware of what humans called space, and was staring back at her with unblinking, narrowed eyes. Miko and demon stared at each other awhile longer before Kagome's tear ducts began welling with tears. All at once, a surprised lord caught the emotional wreck that was Kagome as she barreled into his chest, uncaring that the demon lord's armor was digging into her skin in some places and disregarding the thought that this was a demon capable of destroying her with his pinky._

_Lord Sesshoumaru stared down at the top of the dark haired woman's head, forcing himself to not sigh in exasperation. What the hell should he do now? He hated people clinging to him and barely remembered anyone else who had the audacity to attack his person in such a way. But…the miko had always been an exception to his rules of life, always finding some way to surpass his expectations. In the past she had always found some way of making him _see _her. What's more, she had even been known to impress him a time or two when she had done something truly remarkable; such as being able to pull his father's sword out of the ground or actually managing to get close enough to strike him with an arrow. So he supposed he could allow her to touch his person this time, as long as she did not make this a regular occurrence._

_He truly hadn't anticipated ever seeing the strange woman again after her return to the future, seeing as his pack was not especially close to his brother's. Of course, long ago, back in the Feudal Era, Sesshoumaru had already reached the conclusion that his brother's miko hailed from peculiar origins; however Sesshoumaru had had no idea she was from this far in the future._

_Finally realizing what she had been doing, Kagome drew away from the still demon lord and her face flushed as she realized the state of her dress…was still partially undressed. "Uh…" Kagome could find no words. She had never really been very good at conversing with people who appeared so stoic. They made her nervous, Sesshoumaru especially._

_Inwardly amused at the miko's distress, and showing no sign that he was affected by her presence, the demon lord turned away and began walking, no, gliding, Kagome's mind decided, along a lone, beaten path. Turning his head to the side, Sesshoumaru shot her a look Kagome interpreted as "follow me."_

_Narrowing her eyes, Kagome debated the pros and cons of following the demon lord, though the questions she wanted to ask begged to be answered and proved to be her sole motivator. _

_:::End Flashback:::_

What Kagome hadn't known then was that Sesshoumaru had become an overseer of the Makai. Not a lord like he once was, but still rich and baring a castle, he was and is the most official demon in all of Makai. Of course the demon realm ran much more like the Feudal Era, with three demon lords instated, Yomi, Mukuro, and the recently deceased Raizen, who had left everything to his newly discovered "son." This son was always lurking in the shadows, though he had not made any moves to actually enforce law over his lands. Enki, who was basically the demon lord of them all, fell under Sesshoumaru's guidance, but Enki pretty much decided Makai Law. Kagome believed the kindly demon was a very good ruler and, though large in size, extremely strong. He had won the Demon World Tournament every time it came around. Lord Seshoumaru, however, acted as a type of diplomat in order to keep the peace between realms. Kagome had had a long, long laugh, privately of course, after she was informed of this by her son. Who would have ever pegged Sesshoumaru as a diplomat? Shippo had only been on good terms with Sesshoumaru for about 50 years, having disappeared into obscurity when he was only a child and wiping all traces of his identity. Though he had grown strong early in his life, he was still a young demon and wanted to live to see his mother. He figured the less other demons knew of his existence, the better the outcome of living to see his mother once again. It had worked out perfectly and about 400 years after the formation of the Makai, Shippo began searching for his mother or at least her ancestors. He hadn't been aware of what year she originally came from, but he knew the abouts of her time. During this time period, he had been reintroduced to the older male demon and had been working under the previous Western Lord as a sort of gopher or, as Shippo calls it, "doing whatever the hell he tells me."

"Mom?" _Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear, _Kagome thought with amusement. Hearing her son calling from somewhere in the near vicinity, Kagome turned away from the veranda and moved back into her room, leaving the wide doors upon she could still feel the light, cool breeze. She turned just in time for the tan kitsune to come bounding into her room, tail wishing friskily behind him. At once, a small smile crossed her face and her sky blue eyes twinkled merrily as his curious gaze turned mischievous upon spotting his beloved mother. Man, it was strange viewing her through more adult eyes, but no matter how much he grew, he knew he would always see the pure miko as his mother. "Whatcha' up to, ma'?" he asked, sweeping her up into his arms. Kagome laughed and hugged him back, amazed at how rapidly Shippo was growing. What once was a tiny kit, was now a teenaged fox, and she was immensely proud and saddened at seeing her child. She already regretted not being able around to see him grow up. Out of all her old friends, she had missed him the most.

"Shippo, you're getting so big!" Kagome exclaimed gaily, closing her eyes and relishing in the close contact of her adopted son. Her son cuddled closer and breathed in his mother's intoxicating scent, thanking both Inari and his deceased parents for sending him such a wonderful foster mother.

"No, mom, I think you're just getting shorter!" he teased. "Perhaps you should find a mate before you shrink. I don't want to have to introduce an old lady to all my friends and explain why they can't see you."

"Hey!" Kagome pouted, smacking him lightly on the arm. "That isn't very nice, Shippo. If anyone is old here, it's you. You could be my great, great, great, great, great, and many more greats, grandfather."

"At least I'd be a cute grandfather." Shippo wiggled his pointed ears suggestively and Kagome absently wondered if his more human looking ears would one day migrate to the top of his skull. She knew there were different breeds of kitsune and she also knew they evolved at some point, some gaining the ears of their more animal form. She tried to picture him with tall, red burnished ears and couldn't hide the hand twitch from her perceptive kit. Noticing his mother's blank, examining eyes, Shippo smirked. Some things never changed.

"Picturing me with ears again?" he murmured. "You never could get enough of Inuyasha's. Who knows? If I grew some, you'd probably find some way to follow me around forever. No offense, mom, but I think people would be offended if I showed up to inter-world meetings and had to drag my mother along because she couldn't stay away from my ears."

"No way!" Kagome grinned innocently, crossing her fingers behind her back. "I would just find some way to detach those lovelies of yours and keep them with me."

Shippo allowed his jaw to drop in mock horror before rolling his eyes. "Sure. You'd have better luck growing your own. Anyway, enough about my ears, his lordship sent me to find you. Apparently someone knows you're living here and sent you some kind of package. I told the guy there was nothing to worry about, probably a piece of fan mail or junk mail, but he seemed…concerned. Well, actually, he didn't really look concerned, because his face always stays like that. I wonder if he never heeded his mother's advise, that faces will freeze if they stay too long in one position… "

Paying no attention to her rambling kit, Kagome tuned him out and frowned, worrying her bottom lip. A package for her? That was a bit strange. There were only a few people who knew of her dwelling in the castle. Most of those lived there themselves. Shrugging and deciding not to worry, Kagome cuffed her son upside the head, instinctively knowing he was insulting Lord Sesshoumaru again. What the two had against each other was beyond her. Must have something to do with the whole "I'm a fox, I'm a dog" thing. And it was because of this love for her son that she did not want to see what he looked like headless.

"Come on, son, let's go see what presents have been sent to me. Perhaps it's from my mother. She is the only human besides Souta and gramps who knows where I am. Ooh, perhaps she sent me some oden." Kagome began to repeatedly chant "oden" under her breath, practically skipping now and salivating over her favorite food. The Makai was nice, but the food was nothing compared to home.

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"Ooh, it's from Yusuke!" the happy miko exclaimed excitedly, dancing around Lord Sesshoumaru's office with jubilee. "I haven't heard from him in years. I wonder how he knew where I was." Kagome thought for a moment and then held up one finger in success. "Ah, ha, Koenma must have told him!"

Lord Sesshoumaru inwardly snorted, eye twitching at the spectacle the idiotic miko was making of his office. Shippo had gotten excited over his mother's excitement, though he had no idea who this Yusuke was, and was dancing around with her, throwing flower petals that appeared to fly out of nowhere.

"Hey, mom, who's Yusuke?" Shippo asked, curiosity getting the better of his enthusiasm.

Kagome stopped in her tracks and grabbed Shippo's arms in an attempt to keep her feet on the ground. Her head was swimming from her previous twirling motions and she felt she would fall if her son let go any time soon. Once her head stopped spinning, she grinned at her son. "Yusuke is my half brother!"

"Brother?" Two voices rang out, one more stoic and the other laced with higher baritones. At this, both Sesshoumaru and Shippo expressed more interest, well at least Sesshoumaru did. Shippo was interested in just about everything pertaining to his mother.

"Yep!" Kagome replied. "I guess I never mentioned him because I never see him very much. See, before my father married my mother, he was with Yusuke's mom. His parents were already having problems of their own when my dad met my mom and one thing led to another and I was conceived. Grandpa wanted my parents to get married immediately, in order to thwart any kind of scandal, except my dad had forgotten to inform my mom of his wife." Kagome frowned. Though she loved her father, he still had a lot of faults in his past, ones that had caused her family, as well as Yusuke's, a lot of grief. "Anyway, Yusuke's parents divorced and my father eventually married my mother, after she forgave him of course. They were together until just after my little brother was born. After that, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away a few months later."

_I had no idea her father was deceased, _Seshoumaru mused._ Though the lack of any mention of him should have been a clue._

Sesshoumaru hummed in thought, while Shippo went ahead with more questions, wanting to know more but not knowing which questions to ask. "Did you know about your dad's previous family?" he asked after a few more moments of silence. He wondered if Yusuke and Kagome had the same type of relationship as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, seeing as the two were half siblings.

Determining Shippo's thought process, Kagome shook her head. "No, no, well, yes I did know about my dad's family. But I never hated them or felt any ill will. If anything, I felt sorry for Atsuko, Yusuke's mom, because I'd heard she went downhill after their marriage broke up. When I was a child, my dad used to have visitation rights of Yusuke until he was about 5 or 6 I think. I can't really remember, because Yusuke was older than me by a couple of years. Anyway, Atsuko moved to another city and because of the distance, Yusuke wasn't able to come as much. We kept in touch for a few years, but Yusuke never was one to remember to write. He was always really thick headed, if not dense. But I loved him anyway. I looked up to him when I was a kid. I thought he was cool!"

_Okay_, Shippo thought. _That makes sense, but something doesn't seem right. Ah, that's it! _"So, wait, if you haven't seen your brother in so long, how does he know where you are?"

"Oh, that's because he works for Koenma, or well he used to. As I understand it, Yusuke was something called a spirit detective."

At this, Sesshoumaru growled inwardly, a few things starting to become clear. The name Yusuke had rung a bell, but he hadn't immediately remembered where he had heard the name before. Kagome's half brother was quite possible the one who set up the tournament in the demon realm and was rumored to be Raizen's heir. Troubled that he hadn't thought to investigate whether the rumors were true, Sesshoumaru made a mental note to question some of his demon acquaintances to find out what they knew about the ex-spirit detective.

Sesshoumaru tuned back into the conversation between mother and son. "…of course Koenma told me Yusuke was fired a couple years ago, why doesn't that surprise me? Yusuke never was one to fall under someone else's orders. He always did his own thing, so they probably fired him for speaking back to his superiors or something."

"So what does the letter say?" Shippo wanted to know. "Is he coming to visit or something?" He held back a nervous gulp when his mother let loose a giant smirk, the kind that Inuyasha used to make just before he let loose the Wind Scar.

"It seems," Kagome paused and grinned impishly, "that we are being invited to a tournament."

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Okay, so obviously this doesn't sound exactly like the previous Time After Time, but I can assure you it will start sounding familiar soon. Here are some things you should know:

1.) Obviously, the plot has completely changed. The Boudokai tournament will still continue, but Kagome's background has changed a lot, so be paying attention.

2.) Kagome is 25 years old, not 19 as she originally was. She did not live through centuries like she did in the orginal, she returned to the future, but still carries the Shikon no Tama.

3.) Kagome is not all powerful. She is still a miko and has some other type of training, but I'll let you guys know what her abilities are later. Just know that she isn't an all powerful being, since I have learned that some things just aren't possible.

4.) Kagome has been living with Sesshoumaru for one year, but she actually met him earlier than that. At shit time, though, she has been living with him continuously.

5.) Shippo is obviously still Kagome's adopted son. I have yet to determine whether I will add Shiori in later.

6.) This will still be a crossover between Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Dragonball Z.

7.) The only pairing that still remains the same is Kagome/Kurama. Though I have gotten away from this pairing for a long time, I am willing to still write it. The plolt still calls for it. I don't know if Gohan and Yukina will become another couple, but just know that I am a major fan of, ahem, shounen-ai and yaoi stories. If you do not know what these are, you probably shouldn't be reading this material. For those of you who do, I will warn you if this change occurs in any of the pairings.

8.) The tournament order will be different, but I have yet to determine who is fighting.

9.) You may also notice that Inuyasha hasn't been included. I haven't decided what I want to do with his character yet, but I do know he is not an enemy and he will show up at some point.

10.) Yusuke and Kagome are half siblings. I adore Yusuke and I think it will fit the plot nicely if they are siblings, rather than cousins. Sorry, but Yusuke is one of my favorite characters and there will not be any bashing of major characters...unless these major characters are ones I don't particularly like.

11.) And last is...I don't know. If you guys have any questions regarding the original and the new version, please feel free to contact me. I will respond, I assure you.


	2. The True Face of Gohan

Konnichi wa, minna-san! Here is the second chapter of Finding Home. It has some differences than in the original, but overall I think I did a nice job of keeping the characters in character. The meeting is different, but it gives all the characters a chance to speak and to be introduced. More background information will come, but not much has changed about Gohan or his character. You'll learn more about him later. Oh, and I have decided to keep Gohan with Yukina for this story. Now the trouble is whether to stick Mirai Trunks with someone or not to bother. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and keeping reading.

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Chapter 2

The True Face of Gohan

Well, here he was, at the tournament, waiting for his father, the hero to all his friends and family and most of the world. If Gohan was being truthful, when Videl had black mailed him to teach her to fly and, later, to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament, some part of him had wanted to back out. Well, okay, the majority of him did not want to have anything to do with that black-haired-psycho-mom-double. But the tournament portion of her wager was more than interesting. It was a prospect that when he thought about it methodically was too good an idea to pass up. More to the point, the two sides of his head were constantly warring these days; the human side wanted to back out, to continue living in peace as he had for the past 7 years, while the Saiyan side, the one which had gradually increased in intensity ever since he hit puberty, practically demanded he not only participate in this tournament, but crush his opponents while doing so.

Gohan shook his head in amusement, wondering if he had spent too much time around a certain Saiyan Prince. But really when your father is the only other full blooded Saiyan around and he is dead…well there isn't really much of a choice if he wanted to hang out with another member of his own race, barring Chibi Trunks and his own brother, Goten. Black locks floated around his head as energy welled up inside his heart, begging to be released, to be immersed in battle again. Noting the rise in both temperature and in Ki, a certain blue eyed, violet haired demi-saiyan glanced to his side. "Hey, Gohan, everything okay?" his friend asked. Gohan's eyes slanted to the side, not immediately turning his body to face his best friend, Mirai Trunks, or Mirai, as he was christened upon his return to the past.

"Everything is fine, Mirai," Gohan answered, eyes swiveling up and away from his friend's curious gaze. Mirai was just far too perceptive a person and, as much as Gohan trusted the other demi-saiyan, he simply didn't wish to speak about what was bothering him lately. After all, it was still a bit weird to view the other demi as a friend, rather than a mentor. Mirai Trunks had returned to the past one year ago and appearance wise had not changed a bit. Gohan, however, had grown up immensely during the past seven years and had somehow managed to grow taller than the former older boy.

Standing close by his side, Mirai Trunks Briefs continued staring at his friend for a good solid minute before Gohan finally turned his head and the two locked eyes with each other. The two teenagers stared at each other for a few seconds before both began to chuckle quietly. "Come on, Mirai, turn those lasers off. We have a tournament to participate in and I have no desire to be examined like one of Bulma's new experimental toys." Gohan playfully tousled his friend's silky locks before picking up his pace and joining his father's friends who were gathered impatiently around the entrance, undoubtedly waiting for Goku to arrive.

"Sure," Mirai murmured, smirking as he joined his friend.

As they walked alone, Gohan began to sink into his past again, mind wandering over the past few years and the changes he had gone through.

The years following the cell games had been rather peaceful, but Gohan had continued training, alternating the cycle between studying. It was still his mother's dream for him to grow up to be a scholar and Gohan tried to keep her happy. It was in everyone's best interest since an unhappy Chichi is like dealing with a female Frieza; scary, unpredictable, and prone to continuous bouts of PMS. Although Chichi didn't like her son training all the time, Gohan had been adamant that he should continue training. After all, he didn't want to take the chance of becoming weak. What would happen if another foe popped up to challenge the delicate balance of Earth again? If he couldn't even form a decent punch, the earth would be doomed.

There was also another reason that Gohan continued training, one that he had never shared with anyone, not even Mirai, who he had grown quite attached to. The intensity of such a training regiment brought Gohan a sense of achievement, a sense of self-worth that had not been felt since the defeat of cell. For a long while the demi had been depressed over the loss of his father and had quit training, lost in his studies and self-loathing. Guilt had surpassed pride, and he had wondered what would have happened had Cell been destroyed sooner. Would his father have then lived trough the Cell Games, rather than sacrificing his life for his son? All of these thoughts, along with mind numbing studying and stress finally became too much for the poor demi that, in a moment of pure unrestrictive rage, he released all his pent up energy and frustrations, effectively leveling half his home and the forest surrounding him. The experience had shaken him, shocked him even, not only because of the sheer destructive force behind his power, but of what lay beyond that. When Gohan had been releasing all that pent up energy, he had felt something snap inside his mind, had felt the void within expanding. In short, Gohan realized that there was a possibility of going beyond the power of a Super Saiyan 2.

After this release and overwhelming evidence of yet more potential strength and abilities, Gohan went back into training and hadn't stopped since, gradually increasing in power. Every moment of the last 6 years was spent either training or meditating, much to the chagrin of his banshee of a mother and those fighters who'd given up long ago. And while he still studied, training became his main priority. Pretty much the only people who supported Gohan's decision to begin training again were Vegeta and Bulma, and later Chibi Trunks and his future counterpart. Chichi, although allowing her son to continue fighting, remained largely unsupportive of his efforts, despite having trained her youngest child, Goten.

Ah, brothers, aren't they wonderful? Gohan slyly glanced over at his little brother, who was nervously standing behind his mother's leg. Trunks, Mirai's younger counterpart, was standing beside his own father, copying the prince's pose perfectly. It was amazing how similar those two were, no matter that both father and son would deny it. Gohan snorted in amusement and caught the attention of several of his older friends and teammates.

"Bless you," Krillin interpreted incorrectly.

"Oh, dear, son, perhaps you're coming down with a cold," Chichi remarked, stretching out her arms in an attempt to lay her hand on his forehead. "Perhaps you should sit out this time and let someone else handle the fighting. You know I want only the best for you and if you should get sick, why, how else will you continue you your studies?" Panic had started blossoming across his mother's face, but Gohan moved away hesitantly, unashamed when she flinched in hurt at her son's reaction. It wasn't that he didn't want her to touch him, he just wasn't into being fussed over at the moment. His mother could be a worrier and a dramatist, over reacting about the tinniest things. Before he could open his mouth to apologize, a breeze swept over the group and a figure blurred into shape, Goku's body returning to earth just as promised.

"Goku!" everyone cried. Well, perhaps not everyone. Vegeta copied Gohan's earlier snort, though the smirk on his face was very telling. Perhaps the other Saiyan didn't hate his father after all. Perhaps he even missed the bastard. Gohan glanced to his side and caught the amused smile on Mirai's face and wondered if his friend had caught on to his thread of thought. Gohan couldn't resist teasing the self-proclaimed Prince of all Saiyans.

"_Could it be that you actually managed to miss him, Vegeta? My, my, I had no idea you cared so much about my father? Perhaps I should tell him. He would be so happy to know how much you cherish him," _Gohan mocked, effortlessly slipping into the proud prince's mind and exploiting Vegeta's mental capabilities.

"_Do it and you die first, brat! I won't wait until after my final spar with Kakkarot to take your life,"_ Vegeta returned, swiveling his head and flinging a death glare in his rival's son's direction.

"Uh, Gohan, what did you say to him?" Mirai whispered in his friend's ear, resisting the urge to gulp. His father's glares were famous for reducing his enemies to babbling idiots. Well, they worked for most people, just not on his mother. He supposed that's what made them such a good match. Why people were so surprised when the two hot heads managed to get together and create a child was beyond him.

"_Oh, nothing, just wondering whether or not to inform my dad of your dad's love for him, _Gohan commented in Mirai's mind, enabling Vegeta to listen in, unwilling to end his teasing of the Saiyan prince. Having lost his fear of Vegeta long ago, Gohan had grown fond of teasing the older male. It was just so funny the way Vegeta's face turned all red with anger.

"What?!" Mirai exclaimed, all too soon realizing he had spoken out loud. He flushed when he realized he had everyone's attention, but let out a breath of air when their attention turned back to the adorable introduction between father and son.

Gohan rolled his eyes upon feeling the nervous tension rising from Mirai Trunks. "I was kidding, Trunks, Kami, grow a back bone, would ya'?"

Mirai, realizing how silly he must look, scowled at his friend. He wondered why, after all this time, Gohan had to turn out more like Vegeta, than his own father. He marveled at the differences between the Gohan of his time and the one standing before him today. This Gohan certainly hadn't been the one he had expected to meet upon his return to the past. Instead of finding some kind of nerd/honor student, Mirai had encountered a Gohan with more grit, attitude, and most importantly, mood swings. All too soon, Mirai found himself lightening up. This Gohan really wasn't that bad. Mirai just had trouble relaxing from too many years of running and hiding and not knowing who to trust. And besides, Gohan was quickly becoming the best friend he had ever had. Mirai Gohan had been his friend, yes, but that Gohan had always been more of a mentor than a buddy.

During this time, Gohan and Vegeta had continue battling in mind speak, the saiyan prince becoming more pissed off each time the younger saiyan responded smarmily. Despite his anxiousness around his young father, Mirai found himself listening in on their conversation and even began enjoying the barbed comments each saiyan threw at each other. It seems Vegeta had lightened up a bit over the years, if one disregarded the inventive death threats he swore at Gohan.

"_I don't know, Gohan, if you tell Goku such a thing I don't think my dad could ever escape from your dad's friendship clutches. Poor father," _Mirai chimed in.

Both demis chuckledat hearing the low growling and grinding of teeth. "_If you two think I missed that third-class, idiot of a saiyan, you are both sincerely mistaken and shall be feeling my fists if you dare tell Kakkarot such foolish nonsense." _

"_Gotta catch us first!" _Gohan cried, grabbing Mirai's arm and bellowing out a hurried greeting to his father, who merely blinked at his oldest son's rapid departure. Both demis made a break to escape from the menacing clutches of Mirai's father. Unfortunately for Gohan, in his haste he forgot to check for nearby energies (Ki) and crashed head first into another head of equally dark hair and an equally hard head.

* * *

Of the four men ambling almost cautiously through the torrents of people, only two took notice of the group of strangers possessing weird energy.

"Hiei," Kurama murmured; his voice was somber and soft. "I don't suppose you-"

"Felt that?" The fire apparition's garnet eyes flashed once before dimming into opaqueness. "Yes. They were strong."

Glancing at each other, Hiei and Kurama nodded once, concluding that this matter would not be ignored for long. But for now there were other matters to attend to. After all, what was more important; discovering who or what those people were or following two teammates who could and would cause trouble if left unattended for too long in such a large mass of people? Yusuke Urameshi was not known for his patience and with Kazuma Kuwabara tagging along and antagonizing the poor Toushin who knows what could happen.

Hearing a crash and a rather loud expletive that sounded remarkably like said Toushin, Kurama made haste to his friend's side and stopped to make sense of what was occurring. Currently, there were two bodies lying on the ground, though both were struggling to sit up. Yusuke was rubbing his head and still cursing up a storm, while the other person, who resembled a teenage boy on the verge of adulthood, was being propped up by his own acquaintance. Kurama locked eyes with the violet haired boy and didn't have much time to realize that the other boy looked slightly familiar. His attention left the other heavily muscled man and turned to survey his ex-leader, turned demon.

"Are you all right?" Kurama asked, bending down to grab his friend's arm with the intention of helping the poor demon to his feet. In the back of his mind, the ex-king of bandits couldn't help but wonder what kind of human could have caused this much damage the brunette's thick skull. After all, Yusuke was known to possess quite the hard head.

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke grumbled, before shooting the laughing human at his side a dark look. The fourth member of their team, Kuwabara, was currently on the ground as well; only he appeared to be laughing and largely unhurt. "Shut up, asshole, this really hurts," Yusuke growled, but shot the red headed kitsune a small smile of thanks for his assistance. At least he had one friend that truly cared about him.

"Hmph," Hiei smirked, having joined his wayward teammates and finding enjoyment in the chaos. The small demon crossed his arms in front of his chest mockingly. "It appears your hard head has finally met its match, detective." Even though Yusuke was dubbed one of his true friends, his sadistic side couldn't help but revel in the Toushin's misfortune.

Yusuke, now sitting on his heels, the kitsune still clutching his arm, tried to swipe out at the fire apparition, frowning when he realized how slow his movements were. What the hell had he run into; a brick wall, a skyscraper, a mountain? No, scratch that, he was sure he had been thrown into a mountain before and it hadn't hurt near as bad as this.

"Jesus, dude, what the hell is your head made out of?" Yusuke asked when they were all standing again. Kurama tried to put his arm around his friend's back, but wanting to save face Yusuke shoved him away lightly.

"We could ask you the same question," the lilac haired man replied, calmly surveying the strange group of men.

"Um, I'm sorry about that," Gohan chimed in, teeth chattering with the ache in his skull. Kami, his head hurt. _To think that a human could do so much damage to a saiyan of my caliber_. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"You think," Yusuke returned snarkily.

"Yusuke!" Kurama barked, elbowing the ex-detective in the stomach, uncaring that he'd just been injured. "That was rude. The least you could do is introduce yourself to this nice young man and apologize for running into him. That hit probably caused him just as much pain, if not more so, than it did to you."

_Gees, _Yusuke thought inwardly, _Kurama can be such a ninny._ But still, Kurama was probably right, like always. _Damn kitsune._

Though Yusuke's manners were hardly those of a gentlemen, his retainers had drilled into his head a sense of, well, sense. "Sorry for running into you, dude," Yusuke said, attitude forgone in place of his normal personality. And his 'father' had claimed his son could never be noble. "Even though it was your fault."

Gohan glanced warily at the grinning male before him, finally reaching over and shaking his hand. At the first touch of fingers, both men felt sparks fly and gasped before drawing away and similarly glancing at their hands. "What happened?" Kuwabara asked, noticing the shocked face of his friend.

"I…don't know," Yusuke replied, brown eyes trailing upward in order to take a good long, hard look at the figure he had run into. The boy, no, the man's body was certainly well crafted. He was tall, good looking, and extremely well muscled, but at the same time the muscles seemed to fit this man as if they were right for his body. Other humans who were this beefed up just looked silly, but Yusuke noticed on this man the muscles didn't make him seem as if he were over compensating for something. Atop the man's head stood raven black hair, rivaling Hiei's, though the spiky locks were a bit shorter and stuck out in more than just one direction. But it was the eyes, yes, the eyes that really reached out and called to Yusuke. Those deep, black pools of darkness were the eyes of a serious predator, eyes that had seen much… eyes that had killed before. And yet, there was a certain kindness lurking inside those eyes that caused Yusuke to be sure that this man had not killed out of malicious intent. Despite the power and knowledge this other boy possessed, Yusuke couldn't help but relax, absolutely certain that he had seen this boy before, but not on one of his missions for the Spirit World. Perhaps he was some nameless demon who he had seen fighting the Makai tournament or something.

Gohan had been watching Yusuke in just as much contemplation, intent upon analyzing the strange energies Yusuke, as well as his friends, carried. At first glance, Yusuke didn't look like much. Where he wasn't scrawny, he certainly didn't behold the same muscle mass like his father and the rest of the Z fighters. The brown haired boy was certainly physically fit, no one could disagree with that, but it was the amazing force behind the lidded amber eyes glaring back at him which made Gohan realize this boy was anything but common or weak. The ache in his head, which had dimmed some in the intermittence of time, returned full force, reminding Gohan just how much knocking heads with the other man hurt. If his head could feel like that, imagine what damage his fists could do. Perhaps there were other strong humans on the planet that his group of friends were unaware of. In any case, he didn't think this boy was a threat to him or to humanity, unless one counted his temper as a threat.

Gohan's critical thinking halted when, much to the surprise of the surrounding men, Yusuke began grinning. Sunlight glinted off of Yusuke's gleaming teeth and Gohan couldn't be sure, but were those actually fangs? With a carefree laugh, Yusuke stuck his hand out again. "I'm Yusuke. Urameshi, Yusuke."

Gohan, still staring into Yusuke's eyes, was again surprised by how much knowledge and inner strength the man held inside. Gohan, now grinning himself, stepped forward and clasped hands with Yusuke once again, both relishing in the sudden rush of energy that filled their bodies.

"I'm Son Gohan, but you can just call me Gohan." The two boys grinned at each other idiotically, unaware of the looks that were being exchanged behind their backs. "It looks like we have a lot in common, Urameshi, Yusuke."

* * *

Well, there you have it. The boys have met. I don't know whether we'll have Kagome meet them in the next chapter or to provide more background information. Probably both if I have the time. Okay, so I know I've said I'm going to take Time After Time down, but after much deliberation, I have decided to leave it up. However, you guys have to know that I have no intention of completing the original as it is. This is the revised version so if you don't like it or really like the first version, don't complain to me. I am nearing my upper 20's and I am studying to be an editor, so I am able to really anaylze a story in order to correct previous mistakes and character flaws. Time After Time was one of my first stories and I am a much better, more intelligant writer than I was back then. Sorry to disappoint folks, but this is how it is and I'm sticking to my convictions. I will leave Time After Time up for you guys to read, just as long as you know that plot will not be completed. Other than that, thank you to those of you who have reviewed. And to those of you who think I'm moving too slow, sorry but my plots are always longer and more thoughtful than those of a one-shot story. If this was a one-shot or even a two or three-shot I would let you know. But it isn't, so I'm sorry if things don't exactly hit the ground running. Enjoy the plot, savor it, don't rush me! I'm a very busy girl who's every assignment in school is to write papers and read books, so I don't have a massive amount of time to post. Hopefully, I'll be able to post at least once a week, but this story will probably be finished much quicker than I anticipate. For some reason, this is just coming naturally to me. Not bad for someone who has had writer's block for the last few years.

Ja ne

Kura


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